Happygram, Sorry it took so long to post this, a crazy day! I braid this in a six strand braid I learned from the directions Cloud swift posted from Secrets of a Jewish Baker. My recipe originally came from Cook and Tell by Bok Hurwich. It is also in Better Homes and Gardens Best Loved Community Recipes (Volume 1). Makes 4 Loaves (48 servings) 2 packages (or scant TBSPs) active dry yeast 3/4 cup warm water 2 tsp sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 cup boiling water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup honey 1 TBSP salt 8 eggs 10 cups All purpose flour 1 cup raisins 1 egg yolk, beaten 1 tsp water 1/4 cup poppy seed if desired 1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a 1 cup measuring cup. Stir in the 2 tsp sugar and set in a warm place until the mixture rises to the top of the cup. 2. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and add the boiling water. After the butter melts, stir in the 1/2 cup sugar, oil, honey and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with your mixer using the flat beater(you can use your kitchen aid for this recipe if it is at least 5 quart heavy duty if not you will have to do most of the kneading by hand)after each edition. 3. Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture. Beat in 5 cups of flour (on first speed). Stir in 4 cups of remaining flour. If continuing in KA put on the dough hook. Knead on first speed for about 10 minutes adding small amounts of the last cup of flour as needed. You can knead on speed two for the last three minutes. Continue with rising in step 4. 4. Turn the dough out onto a well floured board and knead, gradually working in the remaining cup of flour. Shape into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. 5. Turn dough out onto a greased surface and knead in the raisins. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Dived each piece to shape your dough as desired. I usually make I three strand braid, one four strand braid, and two six strand braids. 6. Place the loaves on parchment covered baking sheets, 2 per sheet. Cover the loaves and let rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350. 7. Stir together the yolk and water; brush the wash over the loaves. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds if desired. Bake in a 350 oven for 35 minutes. If needed , cover the loaves with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over browning (I have never done that). Nutrition per slice: Cal. 155 / Sodium 168 mg. / Fat 5 g

Oops, it's Butterscotch, not Vanilla pudding. Natal, I just have this fear of the loaves falling over without a baking sheet, even though I've done it before but not the amount I plan to bake. Okay, no baking sheet then. Bumble, they're quick breads. Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Bread courtesy of Kraft Magazine. I bet the texture of this is dreamy! Pumpkin Bread 2 1/2 c. Flour 2 t. Baking Soda 1/2 t. Salt 1 t. Cinnamon 1 t. Nutmeg 1 sm. box Instant Lemon Pudding Mix 1 sm. box Instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix 1 c. chopped Pecans 1 15oz. can Solid Pack Pumpkin 2 c. Sugar 1 1/2 c. Vegetable Oil 5 Eggs In large bowl mix first 8 ingredients and set aside. In separate bowl, mix Pumpkin and remaining 3 ingredients until smooth. Combine both mixtures and pour into greased loaf pans. (Makes 16 mini pans) Preheat oven to 350 and bake for approximately (mini pans) 20-25 min. Larger loaf pans will take longer to bake.

Deanna, tin is fine too as long as it is not already rusted. Cathy, you find me a bunch of pans and I'll try to find the time to drive to Marble! Today's market was pretty successful; when I was ready to pack up at 11:30 am, I only had two challah loaves and 3 bags of corn muffins left. I traded a challah for a cucumber and a Mediterranean squash (delicata) and I will share the corn muffins and other loaf of challah with my mom. There were many of the regulars, both vendors and customers; chatted with a nice guy selling fresh cut tuberoses and I met a traveling nurse from Detroit who is down here for 12 more weeks. A mom and her son from El Salvador enjoyed my Hawaiian Banana bread on the spot. The "dog lady" and the "mail-order bride" were there, as was the curmudgeon vendor who takes up twice the space he should (grrrrr). It was humid, of course (this is NC in July after all) but there were plenty of breezes and I was able to get close to the Big Tree for some shade. Oh, and one shopper lost her car keys; I helped her look a bit, but she still had not found them by the time I left. Just a regular Saturday at the market! Teresa

Sonnie, I don't know what "rapid pre-heat" means . All I do it turn on the oven to convection bake and change the temp to 350. I don't ever lower the temp due to convection. My understanding is that it means nothing unless you are baking something for a long time. As soon as the oven reaches temp I put in whatever I am baking. The only time I do a long preheat is if I am doing my artisinal breads and then I do preheat for 45 min-1 hr since I am using my cast iron pots or my steel baking stone...those need a good long pre-heat. As an example of convection speeding up baking I messed up last night and didn't take out my roast chicken soon enough. I used convection roast and it was a 5# chicken. It was in at 375 and I left it too long...sigh...dumb. The oven roasts very well and I should have paid attn but had company and got side-tracked. As far as quick breads drying out or not rising on convection I haven't had that happen. I always bake all quick breads at 350 for 45-1hr.15min...depends on size of pan and recipe. Usually 1hr. They always rise nicely and are very moist. I know in the past there have been complaints about the newer Miele ovens. Mine is 7 yrs old and rococco girl's is about that too. We have the same ovens. She never has a problem either. I hope you get good results. PLease do let me know. c